Mind Games
by JillianForDays
Summary: Lie Ren is a sixteen year old who is a new student at a large high school. Under his quiet and polite persona, the boy is a master assassin trained under the eyes of an elite member of a guild called the Safety Blade, Cinder Fall. Whist waiting for a new contract, he becomes "friends" with Nora Valkyrie and Jaune Arc, on his quest to stop everyone in his path. (Ren's POV) (AU)
1. An Open Start

Running, always running. Carrying forward and never looking back. My name is Lie Ren, normal teenager by day, assassin by night. Black hair, magenta eyes, simple and alone. My past is dark like my job, but that doesn't matter. Nothing really matters. I'm lost in the crowd and that works for me, which is all I need. Underestimated, forgotten, I've heard it all. But I don't care.

Day one, I'm given my mission. Day two, I know who they are. Day three, I know their schedule. Day four, they are dead. My tracks are never followed, impossible. They have tried and they have failed. For once they find one location, I am at the next. One step ahead, one world ahead. This is my game. My mind game.

My alarm starts ringing, the piercing sound echoing in the empty cell that is my bedroom. I sit up and rub my eyes, yawning before shutting it off. I run a hand through my hair and get dressed: Black skinny jeans, a white collared shirt, a magenta tie, and black sneakers. I sling my brown leather messenger bag over my shoulder and grab my green tea before walking out to the bus stop.

I go to a large high school on the outskirts of town, for only a sophomore I'm a deadly killer. I keep my small, steel switchblade in my right pocket which I know is risky but I live for danger. I have it for safety and reassurance. This is my first day here and I'm not taking any chances. I board the bright school bus and sit in the back, kicking my feet up and scanning around at the students that spoke too loudly. They are not serious; they are not important.

A few people catch my attention quickly: a blonde boy who is horrible at flirting yet does it anyway, a girl with orange hair who doesn't stop laughing, and a red-headed girl with striking green eyes and a "perfect" smile. The three look close, like they've known each other for their whole lives, and I listen in to see who they really are.

"Jaune! Stop flirting!" The red head laughs, hitting him playfully.

"But, Pyrrha! Nora, tell her not to tell me what to do!"

I roll my eyes and look to the book in my hands, scoffing slightly. Unimportant scum. I get up and walk off with my hands in my pockets as we arrive, the school towering over two stories high. This, would be fun. The Jaune kid knocks into me as I stop, causing me to stumble forward. I instantly turn around and narrow my eyes at him.

"Watch it." I hiss, brushing myself off.

"Don't talk to my friend like that!" Nora says defensively, stepping in front of him. "It isn't his fault you stopped in the middle of the walkway, prick." I widen my eyes and dig my hands back into my pockets, turning back around and walking off. "I'll break his legs." I hear the girl mumble, and I can't help but whip my head around and flip her off. I may be professional, but I'm still a teenager.

Calmly walking into school, I look around at the fancy marble facility. The ceilings are high, maybe seven feet up, and it appears to have several levels to it. My hair covers over my eyes as people rush past, and I pull my schedule out of my back pocket. Time for English.

I usually get my contracts from an organization I am a part of. We call ourselves the Safety Blade, and drop letters can be left at several locations all over the country for different hideouts to check and act upon. My master, Cinder Fall, is my administrator. Everything I have learned about stealth, manipulation, and violence I've learned from her. She is cunning, and smart, and overall just a master at what we do. My next contract will hopefully be soon, but for now I will have to deal with being stuck in this place.

I walk to my English class, fixing with my tie before walking in. The room is booming with conversation, and I immediately notice the Nora girl in my class. This is just great. The only seat open is the one next to her, all the way in the back corner, so I shuffle to sit down. Her turquoise eyes glare at me and I sigh. "I don't want to be here either princess." I say simply, trying to keep calm. She just huffs and turns her head, her hair bouncing slightly.

"Do not call me that." Nora grunts, her muscles tense and her body language closed, evidently showing discomfort and anger. "It is bad enough I have to be in class with you, let alone sit next to you. I don't want you saying anything like that to me."

Manipulation time. "Calm down, I don't want to make your time a suffering one. My attitude this morning was due to my lack of tea, so I greatly apologize for that… Nora, is it?"

"Call me Valkyrie, if you must."

"A lovely last name." I fake a smile, my pearly whites flashing in the florescent lights above. "Please send my regards to the tall fellow that accidentally knocked into me, I understand now that it was indeed not his fault and for me to scrutinize him for it would be wrong. Again, my dearest apologies." I nod my head gracefully, smirking slightly. I can see the girl smile and I know I'm getting under her skin. Cinder would be very proud if she could see me right now.

"What's your name?" She asks, suddenly curious about me.

"Just call me Ren." I whisper, turning my body to face the front of the class as the teacher walks in. I feel Nora looking at me every so often, seemingly interested in who I am. The right corner of my mouth curls up, satisfied with how I am making her feel. I will have no problem using her later on if I need her assistance on a mission.

I grab my bag and walk out of the classroom, hearing Valkyrie hurry after me. "Do you have history with Professor Gimmik next?"

"I happen to, yes." I respond, looking over my shoulder to see her trying to get to my side.

"C-can I walk with you?" She stutters, causing me to furrow my brow but nod nonetheless.

"I don't mind." Her demeanor is different; I broke her walls already? Usually types like her are soft but portray themselves as strong, and most of the time it takes longer to open her up. She is easy.

The day passes by faster than expected, people giving me odd looks and even some girls checking me out. I'm not looking for a relationship though, I'm just using this as a cover. I get into my locker and toss my text books in, putting two binders into my bag before shutting my locker and putting it over my arm. I feel someone tap my shoulder and I turn around to see Jaune looking down at me.

"Nora let me know you felt bad for snapping. I'm Jaune Arc, it is nice to meet you!" He extends a hand and I meet him in the middle, shaking it strongly.

"Yes, my greatest apologies. I'm Ren, it is a pleasure to meet you as well." I lie through my teeth, smiling softly at the boy. "I hate to cut our conversation short, but I really need to get to the bus."

"You're on the bus with us, remember?" He laughs, walking out with me. "Otherwise I probably wouldn't have hit into you." I nod with a shrug and just roll my eyes at my shoes. I will have to get used to him. We board the bus and I sit down in the back again, propping my feet up and pulling out my book yet again. At least I'm not bothered whilst reading.

Read, flip, read, flip, read-

"Hey Ren!" Nora's voice blasts in my ears, causing me to jump and drop my book. It slides to the front as the bus brakes at a light and my eyes widen.

"My book!" For once I forget to keep my voice calm and quiet, my volume breaking out and a gasp ripping from my throat. "That's expensive! And, and, important to me!" The girl widens her eyes and has the students in the front pass the book back before handing it to me. I rub the dirt and dust off of the black cover and sigh in relief, calming down slightly.

"Sorry, I didn't think I'd scare you." She truly looks sorry, so I sigh and nod it off.

"It is okay, I overreacted." I tuck the book back into my bag since it was obvious she wasn't going to let me read any longer. "Don't you want to sit with Jaune and…?"

"Pyrrha? No, not really. They'll move back once they see me back here." Great.

"Wonderful." I say neutrally, and glance out the window as we start to move. "I thought you didn't like me."

"You're… Okay." She shrugs, looking at her feet. "I've decided to give you a second chance and become your friend. You don't see to have any. Especially since you're the new kid."

"Oh how kind of you." I growl slightly, offended at her unintentional jab. So what if I didn't speak to anyone? I don't need anyone besides Cinder. She is my teacher, she is the only one I need there for me. However, I can't let that girl know. "It is nice to have someone be at my side even though she just met me."

Nora blushes and looks away, shrugging yet again. "Don't worry about it." She has weird personality changes, I want to look into that. Is she always like this, or is it just with me?

I get off at my stop, getting goodbyes from the orange-haired girl and the blonde boy. I dig my hands into my pockets and look around before walking to my apartment with my head down. Cinder is sitting on our couch with a smirk pulled across her face, speaking up as I shut the door.

"How was school?"

"Fine."

"I forgot my little Ren doesn't like to speak." She chuckles, looking up and down my body. "Nice tie."

"Thanks."

"You better have some sort of weapon on you." Cinder says sharply, and I toss my switchblade to her. "I've taught you well." I nod and walk over, sitting beside her.

"Any new letters at the drop off?" She shakes her head and rests a hand on my shoulder.

"Sorry, I'll keep checking for you. I know how restless you get after not shedding blood for a while." I look over at her and take note of her open body language; she did really feel bad.

I rub her thigh lightly, understandingly, before standing up and heading to my room. I shut the door behind me and lock it. I grab my boxing gloves and quickly start slamming on the heavy bag in my room, growling, groaning, and huffing each time I hit it. I have all of this rage building up and I want to get it out, but I usually do that by taking out targets. Lack of targets equals more stress and more rage. I whip my body around and slam my foot into the one hundred pound bag, having it hit into the wall with a thud. I pant and hear Cinder jiggling the door handle. I sigh and walk over, unlocking it.

"What are you doing?" She asks as she walks in, and sees the gloves on my hands. "You are just a teapot aren't you? Cool and quiet until you are boiling with rage. Then you just start to whistle and scream." Cinder laughs and I can't help but chuckle along, the comparison is perfect. "Just hold on a bit longer, I'm sure something will come in." I nod and she hugs me goodnight before walking out. "Keep it down, I want to sleep!"

I pry the gloves off and hang them back up, changing into a pair of sweats and lying in bed. I think about what happened today and laugh to myself. I have some investigating to do.


	2. Real Emotion

I stand at the bus stop alone, fixing my black jeans, green shirt, and black tie. Once again my knife settles carefully in my right pocket and my black hair sweeps how it does naturally. My bag is slung over my shoulder. I tap my foot impatiently, checking my watch. The bus is five minutes late. Five minutes. What an inconvenience.

I board the loud contraption as it halts to a stop, the doors creaking open and the stairs groaning under my feet. I make my way to the back seat, kicking my feet up and pulling out my book. Nora is in the seat in front of me, and she pokes her head out. "Whatcha reading?" She asks in a peppy voice, and I force myself not to laugh at it.

"Bleak House, by Charles Dickens." I respond.

"Can you read me a paragraph?"

With slight hesitation, I turn back to the first page and read the second paragraph:

"_Fog everywhere. Fog up the river, where it flows among green aits and meadows; fog down the river, where it rolls defiled among the tiers of shipping and the waterside pollutions of a great (and dirty) city. Fog on the Essex marshes, fog on the Kentish heights. Fog creeping into the cabooses of collier-brigs; fog lying out on the yards, and hovering in the rigging of great ships; fog drooping on the gunwales of barges and small boats. Fog in the eyes and throats of ancient Greenwich pensioners, wheezing by the firesides of their wards; fog in the stem and bowl of the afternoon pipe of the wrathful skipper, down in his close cabin; fog cruelly pinching the toes and fingers of his shivering little 'prentice boy on deck. Chance people on the bridges peeping over the parapets into a nether sky of fog, with fog all round them, as if they were up in a balloon, and hanging in the misty clouds_."

Nora widens her eyes and instead of a laugh I am expecting, she smiles. "That is some fine ass literature." She giggles, turning her head as Pyrrha takes a seat across from her.

"We haven't formally met, I'm Ren, and it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance." I dip my head respectively at the green-eyed girl causing her to smile.

"Pyrrha, and it is a pleasure for me as well. Nora wouldn't shut up about you." The girl in front of me turns a deep shade of crimson and Pyrrha just laughs loudly. "And she knows it is true."

I ignore the comment and flip back to my page, hiding my face in the text. I hear Nora sigh in relief and I smirk slightly; Pyrrha is correct. I think about my current situation with the odd girl and lean back against the window, relaxing my tight muscles and enjoying the ride. Let's examine the situation. I'm a new student at the school, totally silent, totally weird. I have "no friends" and just seem mysterious. I get into an encounter with a loud mouth, sassy bitch who stands up for her tall and strong friend. However he seems more than capable of standing up for himself. The girl looks down upon me and we meet again in English, working out our differences through sly communication. Her guard is shattered and I am now considered a friend. We have every single class together, and she seems to enjoy that.

She's most likely just a desperate person looking for anyone to be her friend. That seems about right. I chuckle to myself on how long that took me to work out and slide the book back into my bag as the automobile creaks to a stop. I get off of the death trap and walk back into the tall and elegant marble building. Footsteps fill my ears as the mass amounts of students rush to their lockers and their first period classes. There is no rush, there is no need. I open my locker, the rusty metal making a clanking noise as I open the door. Again there is a tap on my shoulder and I turn my head, seeing Nora there.

"What's up, Nora?" I ask, grabbing my English textbook. I refer to her by her first name to see how she will react. Her facial expression is neutral, but she corrects me instantly.

"Valkyrie." She says. "Call me Valkyrie." The girl looks down at her feet before talking again. "We should get to class."

"Are you alright?"

Nora seems surprised at my question, even stumbling back a bit. "Y-yeah! Why do you ask?"

"No reason." I say, shutting my locker and resting my hand on her shoulder. "You just seem, troubled. That's all. You're right, we should get to class." I rub her shoulder lightly, genuinely smiling at her. Nora flinches out of my grasp and takes my wrist, leading us to class. She is acting really oddly, I hope she is okay.

Why do I want her okay? She is nothing to me and she will be nothing.

I walk into class, or more so am being dragged into class, and I take my seat. I run a hand through my hair, my magenta eyes glancing around as some girls are looking at me with smirks on their face. I furrow my brow and nod my head at them, having them giggle a bit. Nora whips her head to face me and glares, before returning the glare to the girls. I'm confused. Dr. Hamlet waltzes into the classroom, taking a seat at his desk. "Who is the chap that walked in here with the novel Bleak House?"

"I am, sir."

"Splendid. I figured it would be the quiet boy that had an interest in sophisticated reads."

I nod and smile at my professor, feeling Nora's gaze on me again. She leans into my space. "I can tell that smile is fake." She smirks, causing me surprise. That, dirty smirk, didn't look right on her innocent face. Her cute and innocent face. Her voice is rough and rigid, mixed with the smirk makes me uneasy.

I walk out of class as the bell rings in my ears, turning my head as Nora walks faster to catch up to me. I nod to her and point her to Jaune who is waving us over. I take her hand in mine just to bring her over, dropping it as Jaune meets us halfway. "What's up guys?" He laughs. "Have you seen Pyrrha?"

"Nothing much, history soon." I nod, and look around. "I haven't seen her, I'll keep an eye out for you." I say and smile, hitting his arm lightly before walking off. I look around as I head to class, grabbing Pyrrha's arm and stopping her as she walks with a black-haired girl whose hand are locked with another blonde girl's hand. The two see me and walk off, leaving me alone with Pyrrha. "Jaune is looking for you."

"Oh, thanks!"

"Who were those girls?" I ask.

"Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long." She responds, and seeing me confused she further explains. "Blake is the dark-haired girl, Yang is the golden-haired one."

"Are they-"

"Dating? Yeah." Pyrrha nods, smiling. "You'll have to get to know them, they're a fun bunch. Got a few other friends you should meet too. I'll have Nora let you know some details when we all hang."

I nod and grin, looking at my feet. "Thanks, I've never been really, included." I say honestly before walking into the classroom. I can feel my cheeks bright red as I sit in the uncomfortable metal seat. I pull my book out and start reading, a few minutes passing by being Nora stumbles into class. Her entrance causes me to jump and whip my head to look at her. The orange hair is frizzing and standing up in several places on her head. I feel myself become concerned for the girl and motion her over to sit beside me. "What happened?"

"N-nothing. I'm fine." She smiles at me and nods before shutting up and facing the teacher. I am worried.

I get off of the bus and dash down the street, unlocking the front door and slamming it behind me as I walk inside the apartment. "Cinder, I'm home!" I call, pulling out my phone and reading the new text message that just came through.

_Is this Ren? I just want to make sure I have the right number…_

The text read, and I smile widely. Nora.

"I'm in the kitchen!" Cinder calls back, so I quickly respond before shoving the phone in my pocket and walking in.

_Yeah, you've got the right number. I'm glad you actually texted me._

"How was your day?" She asks, her eyes glinting.

"Good actually. Contract?" My question causes my mentor to sigh and just hug my lightly.

"I'm sorry, no. I'm trying. I'm even heading to other stops that are farther away, to steal the work. But we've got nothing ourselves, and I don't get to the other stops fast enough. Sorry Ren."

"I-it is okay. It isn't your fault Cinder." I sigh, pecking her cheek and pulling away. "I'm going to go do my homework, I'll see you later."

* * *

><p>Chapter two! I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks babes :)<p> 


	3. Going Away

I roll off of the bed and grunt, hearing my pen roll off the table from my fall and land on my head. I sigh and sit up, tying my hair back up and rolling my eyes. This homework is shit. I grab my pen and place it on the bedside table before standing up and squinting my eyes at the clock. One in the morning. I need sleep. Beacon High's homework sure does take a lot out of me. But at this time of night, or more correctly early in the morning, there is no point of sleeping.

I step out of my room quietly, making sure not to wake Cinder. I make my way to the kitchen to put the kettle on and get myself some tea. Tea makes everything better. I peer out of the window and smile at the darkened world that lay at this moment. Now would be a perfect time to sneak around and kill, I want another contract _so_ badly. Some people from the Safety Blade would argue that I could just go out and murder, but I'm not that type of person. I kill for a reason, for a contract. Killing just to kill would do nothing but ruin lives.

Even though I already ruin lives now.

I dash to the stove and turn the burner off right before the teapot starts to whistle, pouring the hot water into my mug to let the tea steep. I lean against the wall and shut my eyes, sighing in contentment from the deafening silence that surrounds me. In the few minutes of relaxation, I life my mug up and sip the warm mug. I smile to myself and look around at our apartment, the modern white furniture standing out in the pitch black room. I picked out the furniture when Cinder and I teamed up, about three years ago. Back then she was only training me how to look at a knife without freaking out. I have come a long way. My thoughts break as my phone vibrates in my pocket. I furrow my brow in confusion and sip my tea again, turning around to check the clock. It's almost two in the morning, who could be texting me at this hour? I pull my phone out of my pajama pants and unlocking it, seeing the contact name. Nora.

_Hey uh, are you awake?_

Why is she texting me? More importantly why is she awake?

_Yeah, what's up Valkyrie?_

_I can't sleep, and I can't help but be thinking about you._

Thinking about? I scramble to respond but she ends another one in.

_I didn't mean it like that! But, like our friendship. And your personality, you're a confusing one._

…_Thanks?_

_That wasn't right, sorry. But I hope you understand what I mean. I've been having trouble sleeping lately and I'm not sure why. Why are you awake?_

_I was finishing the homework and I figured what's the point in going to sleep. I like being awake at night, the silence, and alone time. It relaxes me._

I place my phone down on the counter and finish my mug of tea, placing it in the sink and stretching before grabbing my phone again and heading back to my room. Honestly I may need to sleep because I'm exhausted. I lay down and set my phone beside me, smiling at it. I don't want to leave Nora awake and alone though.

_Well, I should try to sleep again. As much as you enjoy the night you should sleep to Ren. Goodnight._

_Alright, goodnight Nora._

I type out her name and bite my lip, risking it again. I don't know why but I want to be on a first name basis with this girl. With my friend. I put my phone on the nightstand and shut my eyes, soon drifting to sleep.

I am startled awake by my alarm, springing up and turning it off quickly. I slide open my closet and walk in, looking to see what I should wear. I want to impress the school with my good looks and proper way to dress so I grab another pair of black jeans along with a magenta polo and a pair of white sneakers. Perfect. I open my bedroom door swiftly so that it didn't creak and walk out, grabbing my bag and turning the kettle on. I yawn loudly from my lack of sleep and jump as the kettle whistles, making me rush to pour my tea into my thermos to end the annoying noise. If Cinder isn't up already, she will be now. Fuck, my knife. I sling my bag over my shoulder, grab my tea in one hand, and dash to my room to grab my knife. I slide the sharp and deadly object into my pocket and walk out the front door, tying my hair up as I run to the bus stop. I am very late.

I hear the bus stop and I force myself to run faster. I just make it to the curb before the vehicle pulls away, allowing me to blunder on and stumble to the back of the bus. I collapse into the leather seat and roll my eyes. This is a lovely start to my day. I sip my tea and sigh, shutting my eyes. I wish I got more sleep. I feel the bus stop again a few minutes later and I know this is Nora's stop. I peak my head over the seat and smile to myself as I see her walk down the aisle sluggishly. I wipe my face of any emotion as she gets closer, moving my head away from the top of the seat. Nora sits down in the seat in front of me, almost ignoring the fact that I am here. What?

"Uh, hey." I say quietly. "Are you okay?"

"No sleep." She yawns, laying down in the seat so that I see her orange hair poking out. "At all. I was going to text you again but I didn't want to wake you."

I actually feel bad for her, she got no sleep at all. At least I got two or three hours of sleep. She was up all night. "Maybe you should sleep now, I'll wake you up when we show. And I'll watch your back in English if you want to catch an extra hour of sleep."

"That would be fantastic, thank you so much Ren." I smile and nod, sitting back against the bus and sighing. This is going to be a long day of exhaustion and restlessness.

I stand up and shake Nora awake lightly, seeing her turquoise eyes look up at me with a distant sadness in them. I help her up and frown at her before walking off. I head up the steps to the school and look over my shoulder to see her struggling to keep up with me. I didn't think she would want to walk with me. I stop halfway up the staircase and wait for her, causing the orange-haired girl to smile.

"Thanks." Nora mumbles, holding the side of my shirt as I lead her through the groups of students.

"You shouldn't be here in this state." I say in her ear so she hears me. "It is unhealthy and bad for learning."

"I, I know." We walk to English in silence, passing Jaune on the way.

"Nora, why do you look so, beat up?"

"No sleep." She repeats. "Why weren't you on the bus?"

"Overslept." Jaune laughs, messing up her hair. "Fight through, I'll see you two later."

I lead her into the classroom and the other students' heads whip to face us, causing me to face my head towards the floor and sit in my seat. Why are they looking at us like that?

_Ren._

_Ren answer me._

_Bitch if you don't text me back I'll gut you like a fish._

_You aren't that much of a goodie goodie._

_Ren._

_Don't make me take away your teapot._

I huff under my breath as Cinder continuously texts me, and I finally respond.

_What do you want?_

_I have to go out on a mission of my own and you can't be living alone. I command you to have one of your little friends stay with you._

_Command?!_

_Command._

I tighten my muscles and roll my eyes at my phone.

_Why can't I stay alone? I'm fine._

_Because you're a responsible person but honestly I'm afraid you won't get any sleep and you'll stress too much about everything. If you don't get someone to stay with you, I will._

I know what that means: Emerald and Mercury. No, no, no! They treat me like a child, I can't have that happen.

_Fine, I'll find someone. Fuck you._

_Love you too Ren._

I grunt and shove my phone into my pocket, escaping class as the bell rings. "What did I miss?" I ask Nora as she walks beside me.

"Nothing, what was all of that about?" She asks, honestly caring. "The whole, glaring at your phone and angrily texting."

"My uh, guardian needs me to have someone stay with me because she has to uh, go on a trip for work." I stumble over my words as I try to make it up on the spot. This anger is really screwing up my composure. "Otherwise I'm stuck with two of her friends that treat me like a little kid. But I don't know anyone that can stay with me. It is unfair. I'm more than capable of staying by myself for a couple of days."

"Why don't I stay with you?" Nora says, before starting to blush. "Jaune and Pyrrha could too! It'd be fun!"

"You think so?"

"I know so. Of course if you wouldn't have a problem with it."

"Not at all." I nod, grabbing Jaune's hand and pulling him to the side as we walked past him. "I need people to stay with me this week and Nora's going to be so, I figured you could as well. And can you let Pyrrha know she can as well?"

"I'd love to, sounds epic as hell! I'll be sure to give her the invite. Just her or…?"

"If Pyrrha wants to bring any friends she can. Or you. But otherwise, just us four." I nod, walking out to the bus with the two. This might be my best idea, or my worse.

* * *

><p>Babes, super sorry this is up so late. I was super busy, I'm sorry! Forgive me, please? :)<p>

Thanks for the support, you mean so much to me! :D

If you're a reddit user and you see me around the RWBY subreddit (JillianForDays) be sure to say hi, okay? I'd love to see you there!


	4. Finally

I come home from school to see Cinder standing on the porch with bags in hand. "Aw, I'm gonna miss my little assassin." She says sweetly, stepping down and giving me a light hug. "You find people to stay with you, or do I need to ring up Mercury and Emerald?"

"Several friends will be staying with me, thank you very much."

"Well just don't wreck the place." She laughs and I nod, passing her as I walk up the porch steps and she walks to her car. "I'll check the drop box often while I'm up there and I'll shoot you a text to check in on you and if anything comes in."

I nod and wave to her before entering the apartment and shutting the door behind me. I shoot a text to Nora real quick.

_Let Jaune, Pyrrha, and any of her friends know that you can come now. You can stay as long as you need to Nora, okay?_

I set my phone down and pull my bag off of my shoulders, tossing it on the white couch before turning the kettle on. I hear a knock on the door and furrow my brow before walking over and opening the door. Stood in front of me is Nora, Pyrrha and four other girls. Nora smiles widely at me and walks in without a word. Pyrrha steps out of the way and starts pointing to the girls. "This is Ruby, Weiss, and as you know Blake and Yang."

"Thank you so much for letting us stay, means a lot." Ruby smiles and steps in.

"Yeah yeah thanks." The white-haired girl mumbles, being dragged in by Ruby. Yang pokes her head in and widens her eyes, squeezing Blake's hand.

"Your place is sick!" She laughs, leading the quiet girl in. Pyrrha turns to me, setting her case down.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Yeah, it is fine. I needed someone to stay with me, so I might as well make it fun." I nod and see Jaune dashing down the street. "Look who finally made it." I chuckle. Pyrrha laughs and walks in as well, Jaune panting as he steps through the door. I look back and see Yang sitting on the couch, Blake in her lap. Ruby is sat on the floor and Weiss is sitting in my black leather armchair. "We have three rooms in total so I guess we should figure out who is sleeping where."

I lead them all down the hallway and into my room. "I've got the bed that anyone can take, and the couch. I'll sleep on the floor." I show them Cinder's room and smile as I see all of her… Weapons away. Thank god. "Cinder's got two beds in here. And then the guest bedroom has two beds on either side of the room."

"I'll take one of Cinder's beds with Yang." Blake nods. "We live together as it is so it'd be better."

Pyrrha looks back into the room and says. "I'll have the other one."

"Ruby and I will take the guest bedroom."

Jaune and Nora look over at me and I point to my room. "Looks like you two are with me."

I walk back into the kitchen and turn the burner off, pouring myself yet another mug of tea. Can never have too much tea. With mug in hand I help everyone get their things into the rooms. Yang is celebrating her score on getting the bed with Blake, and Weiss is yelling and Ruby for man handling one of her bags. I want to get to know them. I walk into my room and see Nora standing there uncomfortably.

"What's wrong?" I ask oddly. "The heavy bag in the corner inconvenient for you?"

"No, it's just… I don't want to take your bed from you."

"I don't care." I shrug. "Jaune wants the couch, and you are the girl. You got stuck in a room with two guys, the least I can do is give you the bed." Nora huffs and nods, placing her bag on the bed. "You can change in my closet, it is walk in so there is plenty of room."

"Thanks."

I've never really had friends before, so this is a weird experience. I've never had people that actually want to talk to me or be around me, but it doesn't change anything about me. I'm rough, I'm rigid, I'm cold. I'm an assassin, what else would you expect? I check the time and notice that it is about nine already. We have the next week off of school and it should be a week before Cinder comes back so I have to get to know these "friends". Yang and Blake are already relaxing in bed watching television, while Pyrrha, Jaune, Weiss, Ruby, and Nora are in the living room around the fireplace. I walk out of the bathroom and pull my hair back, sitting down on the floor to join the conversation.

"I am not gullible." Jaune pouts, causing Ruby and Pyrrha to laugh. Weiss just rolls her eyes.

"Please, people that don't know you know you are gullible."

I laugh lightly, feeling the knife in my pocket still. I can't put it away now, it'll look suspicious. I feel my phone go off in my other pocket and glance at it quickly. Cinder.

_Guess who has a contract!_

_Who do I have to take out?_

_Someone by the name of Mr. Janus Schnee. Company head of the Schnee Power Corp._

Four days. Contract, background, schedule, death. That's it. I put my phone back in my pocket and hide my smirk, laughing along with whatever they were laughing at. All that is on my mind now is that name, Schnee. Why does it sound familiar besides the fact that the family runs a power company?

"Hey, tell me about yourselves, since we're gonna be seeing a lot of each other." I laugh.

"Weiss Schnee, sophomore. I'm not a complex person." She huffs.

Schnee. Schnee. Schnee. Fuck, looks like I've got a daddy to kill.

"What's your relationship with your parents?"

"My mom's a sweat heart, real soft, real sweet. My dad on the other hand only cares about the company. He says it is my duty to work in the business, but that's not going to be happening. I love both of them to death though, no matter how badly my father treats me."

Oh, you love him to death? Well, looks like love won't be the cause of this old man croaking. I turn to Ruby and smile. "What about you, Ruby?"

"Ruby Rose!" She cheers. "I love helping people and doing the right thing, so I'm probably going to be a lawyer. That is if I can actually stay serious when I'm older. I'm also Yang's half-sister, not that there is any resemblance."

I nod and excuse myself for a moment, heading into my room. I pull the knife out of my pocket and slip it into one of my drawers, kicking the heavy bag strongly. Finally. Finally I can see what blood looks like again. I should feel bad about knowing that my new friend's dad will be my target, but I feel some sort of success from it. I will be doing her a favor. I will be removing a sore from her life.

* * *

><p>I hope you enjoyed babes! Sorry for the shorter update, I am really sick and I wasn't up to much writing. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow. Please leave a review, share the story around, and favorite it too! I love the support, it means a lot :)<p> 


	5. Analyze

I yawn and rub my eyes, stretching my back out and groaning. The floor is so uncomfortable. I stand up and scratch my bare chest, looking around the room. Nora is fast asleep curled up in my bed, and Jaune is half on half off the couch. I slide out of the room silently and poke my head into the spare bedroom. Ruby whips her head up to smile at me. "Morning." I whisper before looking into Cinder's room. All three girls are asleep as well. But I don't care about that. I need to learn more about this Janus Schnee.

From what I know already he is Weiss' father, and the advisor and company head of Schnee Power Corp. He is a tall, black-haired man with piercing blue eyes and a cold soul. If anything, I will be doing everyone a favor by ripping him from the strands of society. He only cares for the future of the company, thus sending all of his personal relationships into the ground. His relationship with his wife is teetering on the brink of existence, and I would not be surprised if he filed for divorce sometime soon. From what Weiss has told me she also has a sister by the name of Winter. I know nothing of her.

Winter Schnee, from what Weiss has told me in the past day, is a rich and snooty person. Someone who doesn't seem to care about anyone's feelings. Ever. If anything I'd rather slay the heartless girl but, the father will have to do. I run a hand through my hair and sigh, shaking my head. I grab a bottle of water out of the fridge and sip from it slowly, hearing footsteps coming from my room down the hallway. "Ren?" Nora mumbles quietly, rubbing her eyes. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it is my place." I chuckle, smiling slightly at her. All of my life not one person could make me smile like she can. What does that mean? I don't know and I don't care. Smiles mean nothing. "Did you sleep well?"

"A lot better, yeah. Thanks for asking. Maybe just sleeping in the same room as someone else helps, since I live alone."

"You live alone?"

"Yep. Not by choice, but my parents didn't want to stay in Vale and I didn't want to leave so I found an apartment complex that would allow me to be without adult supervision."

You can stay here, is my first thought. Why the hell is that my first thought?! I grunt to myself and nod. It would be the kind thing to do, right? But will she find it weird? We just became friends, for the most part, and she is a girl. Will she think that I want something from her? Like sex? Because that isn't the case. I'm overthinking this. I always go with my first thought. My first thought is always right. But, no. An assassin does not deserve to have a friend stay with them.

"Ren?" She waves her hand in front of my face causing me to jump.

"S-sorry!" I stumble, blinking my eyes quickly. "I'll talk to you about that later, okay?"

Nora furrows her brow at me but nods. "Okay? And why are you trying so hard for me to let you call me by my first name?"

"Because everyone else down." I mumble. "I'd like to feel equal."

"I just, didn't know if I could trust you."

"Can you trust me now?"

Pyrrha yawns and walks down the hall, breaking the deep conversation we were having. "Good morning you two." She purrs, stretching. "Got any coffee?"

"Yeah." I nod, turning the bot on. "I don't drink it but Cinder has it so help yourself."

"Will do, with no hesitation!"

The room is awkwardly silent with the occasional sipping sounds coming from Pyrrha. I shift around a bit. "Plans for today?" I ask to them.

"I've got a football game to attend." Pyrrha states.

"None for me."

"Same here." I nod to Nora and bite my lip, walking over to sit by the cold fireplace. "I never do really." Lies. I normally have no trouble lying or manipulating. That is part of the job. But it feels wrong to do this to Nora. I would have to text Cinder later and explain this feeling to her as I am lost.

"We should do something then! Maybe we can go to that new café that opened up a few weeks ago, I heard it is really good for teas and sweets."

Teas? Count me in. "That'd be really _sweet_." Yang snickers as she waltz into the living room, Blake hitting her arm playfully.

"Mind if we come?"

I didn't even agree to it yet! "It'd be fun, sure." I nod, faking a smile. I get up and walk to my room, shutting the door and changing into a pair of white skinny jeans, a magenta tee shirt, and a white fedora, allowing my long ponytail to sit loosely on my upper back. I step out and see Nora in a pink tank top and a pair of blue jeans. Blake has a pair of ripped up jeans on with a black tee shirt, with a denim jacket over it. Yang has a pair of _too_ short shorts on along with a yellow crop top. "Ready?"

"Totally!" Yang cheers, taking Blake's hand and running out. Nora looks at me and raises an eyebrow before laughing and following them. I watch Weiss dash out of the room in a white dress.

"Can Ruby and I join you guys?"

"Of course." I nod, peering around the corner to see Ruby in a pair of bright red leggings and an oversized black sweater. She smiles at me and I follow her out. Jaune is sitting on the porch, and he stops me for a moment.

"I'll join you all after my football game."

"You are on the football team?" He nods at my question and I let Pyrrha dash out before I lock the door.

"Meet up with us at the café and if you don't make it I'll text you when we get back." I trot down the stairs and get into the back of Yang's car. "Are you sure she is a good driver?" I joke and Blake laughs quietly.

"As good as she'll ever be."

"Hey! I'm the one with the kickass car, remember?" Yang hits the gas and reves the engine, causing me to smirk.

"That's a sick engine you got there."

"I know." Yang snickers before driving off at incredible speeds.

Ruby gasps loudly. "Y-Yang!"

"Oh please!" Weiss shouts, grabbing Ruby's thigh. "You know she won't learn! You have to let her do as she wishes!"

"Exactly!"

They are a weird bunch, that's for sure. Yang is an obvious thrillseaker, someone who lives off of a constant high. She seems caring and responsible even through that high though. Blake is quiet, and blunt. How her and Yang work is beyond me. Is it like the way Yin and Yang work? Blake could easily be her yin. Yin is the black half, it would correlate with yang being the white half and having a light hair color such as the bright yellow. As well as that, yang is said to be fire and yin is to be the ice, Yang's fiery personality and Blake's calm one. Never mind, it works perfectly. Opposites attract.

Ruby is sweet and innocent, which is very different from her sister. She is compassionate and friendly as well. Weiss seems to be her best friend, or something more? That's not my place to assume though. Weiss is not the cold person she lets herself off to be. She is snappy and cruel, but under that layer of ice is a warm heart. I can see why Miss Rose likes to spend time with her, because Ruby's natural warmth melts that ice. Even if she gets called a dolt in the process.

Nora is beside me and she rests her hand on my knee, smiling at me. "You're acting quieter than usual, you analyzing things again?" How did she know? God is she just staring into my mind?!

"Yeah." I nod. "Just thinking about my new friends." Nora smiles wider at me and looks over at the four girls. Weiss is giggling with Ruby and Yang is smirking at a blushing Blake. This would be one fun trip to a quiet place that I usually spend alone. "I don't think I have to worry about being alone anymore."

"You have me, Ren. For now, for a long time. If you'd keep me by your side of course." She states. "N-not like that!"

* * *

><p>Stumbling Nora is the best Nora. Well, besides battle Nora. But she isn't here.<p>

I hope you enjoyed babes! Review? Follow? Favorite? All three? :D

I know the chapters are short, I'm sorry! School has been real tough lately, I'm trying to do both writing and school work but it is a lot :(


	6. The Deed

"N-not like that!" Nora giggles awkwardly, causing me to chuckle. I shrug it off and she lets out a sigh. If anyone in the group is stranger than all four of the other combined, it is Nora.

She has short and bouncy orange hair, and a very weird set of personality traits. Sweet, silly, smart, but also ditsy and snappy. However on further inspection she is only like that around me, keeping her triple 'S' personality around everyone else. What game is she playing here? I get out of the car as soon as Yang pulls up, her brakes squeaking and screaming to be changed. Yang is a reckless driver.

I fix my shirt and hold the door open for everyone, entering the new café after Weiss walked in. Leather booths, slick white walls, dark wood tables and chairs. It is pretty killer in here. Ruby heads up to go order our drinks and whatever sweets they want. I sit down and glance around, seeing the place pretty empty. "Is it always this empty?"

"Pretty much." Blake nods. "I come here to read and get my tea fix, there is no one ever in here. Yang however sounds like several people while we are here." Snickers pass around the table as Yang sits with a pout. "Sorry babe but it is true."

"I know."

"I got it all!" Ruby chimes, setting down all of the piping hot drinks and sitting down. "The lady will be over with all the cakes and stuff that you all wanted." I let my mind drift off as I sip my tea, smiling into the cup. I pull my phone out under the table and read up on Mr. Schnee, no one really noticing I wasn't a part of the conversation. He supposedly spends most of his time in the Schnee Business Tower, from six in the morning to nine at night. Over fifteen hours? That is insane. But since I know so much about him already I can use tomorrow to remove him quickly. In case the police are still looking for me, breaking my pattern will be important.

"Why are you on your phone?" Nora whispers, causing me to jump and shove my phone into my pocket quickly.

"Looking up something, sorry."

"No worries." She smiles, biting into a cupcake. "I got you a chocolate cupcake with green tea icing." She says, wiping the chocolate icing off of her face. I grin widely and take it from her hands, biting into it and widening my eyes. It is really good! I furrow my brow as Nora starts to laugh at me.

"What?"

"Icing, on your nose." She giggles, poking the tip of my nose to wipe the green icing off of my nose.

"Thanks." I mumble through another mouth full of cake, grinning happily. I check the time and shoot Pyrrha a text.

_How's the game?_

_Almost over, wanna meet up with us at the park?_

"Park anyone?" I ask. "Pyrrha and Jaune are going after the game, which is almost over."

"Already?" Weiss says, obviously surprised.

"I guess."

"I'm down!" Ruby cheers.

"Count me in too!"

"Sure."

_We'll see you soon then!_

I pull out my wallet and pay for the bill, walking out of the little shop and climbing back into Yang's car. This time Weiss is behind the wheel, with Ruby in the passenger seat and the couple in the back with me and Nora. "No fair, this is my car." Yang mumbles.

Ruby laughs and shakes her head. "You can't drive safely for your life, Weiss is a good driver."

"She has a point." Nora smiles at her blonde friend, who looks unamused. "Sorry…"

"As long as we get there why does it matter?" I ask simply.

Yang gulps and looks down at her lap. "I guess it doesn't." Weiss smirks back at Yang and drives off. The car keeps a stable speed and I feel a lot safer with the white-haired girl behind the wheel. Her crystal eyes meet mine from time to time in the rear view mirror, causing me to shiver as if I touched ice. I am being pretty confident about Weiss being better off, but I'm worried she might be hurt by this. I hope not. She's a nice girl.

"You okay?" Weiss asks, the question directed to me.

"Y-yeah! I'm good, thanks for asking." Shit she is a really nice girl. Under that cold exterior is a sweet person that doesn't deserve to hurt. Oh well. May death strike Mr. Schnee like a pissed off cobra.

I wake up the next day, my back feeling even worse. It is five in the morning, which means my target should be at his place of work in one hour. I get up and change into a pair of black skinny jeans, a black button down shirt, and a black beanie. I search through my drawers for my switchblade and slip it into my pocket, looking at Nora and Jaune, both are fast asleep. I slink out of the room and look in to see the others all sleeping as well. Perfect. I head out the fire escape and hop down, landing down in the dark shrubs almost silently. The run to the Schnee Business Tower is not far, it is only about ten minutes away. I keep to the shadows and the alley ways, jumping my way up signs and bars to get onto rooftops. I narrow my eyes and see the tall executive building on the horizon. I get a running start and jump from one rooftop to the next, soon tumbling my way down into a side street to loop around the back of the building. I peer down at my watch as I sprint to the back door. Five thirty.

I slide a bobby pin into the lock and concentrate, fixing the pins up as quickly as I can. Click. Click. Click. Pop. I smirk and slide the pin in my pocket before sneaking my way the facility. I contemplate using the elevator before dashing silently up the stairs. If my studies are correct, his office should be on the top floor. I have a long run ahead of me.

After what feels like hours I reach the top of the building, checking my watch again. Five forty-five. I grab the bobby pin out again and slip it into the lock, working my way through the pins. Click. Click. Click. Click… Pop. I sigh in relief and walk inside, shutting the door and locking it behind me. The room is dark and I examine the room. The birch desk is in front of a large window, a hallway to the right of the desk leading to a fire escape. Perfect. I position myself in that hallway and wait for the man to enter.

"Yes, thank you. Leave me to my work please." That must be him. The door creaks open and slams shut, the footsteps getting louder as the man makes his way to his desk. Blake hair, blue eyes. My man. He sits down and begins to scribble on his stack of papers. I slide my blade out and flip it up, slinking over so I am right behind him. I thrust my arm out and press my knife against his neck, smirking widely.

"Goodbye, Mr. Schnee." I whisper in his ear before covering his mouth and drawing the blade across his throat, his screams and shrieks muffled by my hand. The sharp tool cuts through his skin swiftly, as if his skin is as thin as paper. I move my right hand that holds the bloody blade and quickly thrust it into his stomach, on an upper angle so it slices the fragile skin under his shirt. I smirk wider and feel myself overcome by lust and power as I slide the blade out and move my hand, watching the limp body slide under the desk. Perfect. I flip the blade back into the handle and dash down the right hallway, exiting out of the fire escape and sighing. It would be a long climb down. I get onto the ladder and feel adrenaline take over, sliding down the ladder at quick speeds. When I'm a few feet off of the ground I jump and tuck, landing on my back and rolling to disperse the shock of the fall. Once I'm on my feet I sprint away, never looking back. Job done.

I look down at my knife and see no blood on the outside, however I know that I need to clean it as soon as I get home. My clothes are free of any blood splatter, and I know I am untraceable as soon as I step through my door. I shut the door behind me and slide the small wooden case into my pocket, noticing that no one is wake yet. It is only six fifty by the time I get back. I walk calmly to the bathroom and lock the door behind me, making sure to clean the weapon perfectly before sliding back into my pocket. My eyes are a bright magenta color, a sure sign my ache for bloodshed has been calmed for a little while at the least. With a deep sigh I walk into the hallway and make my way to my room, hiding my knife away and changing as quickly as I can. I get my black sweats on and as I tug my shirt off I hear Nora yawn.

"Ren?" She mumbles tiredly, and I stand silent with no shirt on.

"G-good morning." I chuckle lightly, waving. The girl blushes at me and I just bite my lip. "I just woke up a little while ago, wanted to get dressed. I can see that didn't happen just the way I wanted it to…" I lick my lips and notice how attractive she looks, the sun from my window rising behind her, casting an orange glow to her facial features. Nora smiles at me and I snap out of my trance, confused with what I just thought. Nora? Attractive? Am I okay?

I walk out quickly and rub my eyes, yawning. I'm just tired, that's all. Tired. Yeah. I watch Weiss walk out of the room with a loud yawn, walking over to me and smiling.

"Morning Ren."

"Morning." I nod, smiling back and watching her walk off to the bathroom. I don't feel bad at all, I rid the world of that horrible man. I will have to inform Cinder of my success soon.

* * *

><p>Here is the next chapter babes! In case you didn't know I'll be doing these every other day because school and two fanfics (Do You Want Me? and Mind Games) is very stressful. My first work will continue to be daily while this one will be every other day to increase quality and reduce stress. I hope you think this is okay!<p>

Please review, share, and favorite. Means a lot :)


	7. Delving into the Shadows

I step outside to get some fresh air, the gentle breeze blowing my black back and hitting my bare chest. Weiss doesn't know her father is dead yet. Most likely, no one does. Besides me of course. The blood dripping down his white tie flashes before my eyes and I smirk, my right hand gripping into a fist. The bright crimson color flashes again, and my body feels like I've been set on fire again. That power, that strength that comes with killing. The sensation just flows through you, makes your heart beat faster and your mind react quicker. It makes life better.

_It is done Cinder. Whether the world knows about it now, it has been done._

I put my phone back into my pocket and inhale the crisp autumn wind. The door creaks open and I don't bother turning around to see who it is. "Why are you out here alone?" Nora asks, standing beside me.

"It's nice outside. The calm breeze and the silence are nice."

"Sometimes you don't have to be alone." She comments, sitting down on the step. I glance down at her and see her orange hair now brushed neatly. "I like the quiet too."

"Why did you forgive me? Why do you like spending time with me?" I ask abruptly.

"I don't understand what you-"

"Why do you want to spend time with someone who barely speaks, who acts mysterious and closed in?"

She waits a while, a long while before she breaks the silence once again. "Because you seem like a good person, you seem troubled by your past and I thought I could be your friend and make up for whatever is troubling you."

Nora Valkyrie has good intensions, but she is poor at explaining things. The lass looks up at me with powerful blue eyes that seem to whittle at my walls. Every look, every word, every laugh. Everything she does seems to weaken my barriers little by little. What is it about her? What is it about Nora that makes me feel bad for hiding things from her?

"My parents died in a house fire." I open up, sitting beside her. I hate talking about this, it rips at me. "I was about six when it happened. It was the middle of the night when some band of teenagers threw a brick through my living room window and tossed in a couple of matches. Their snickers still echo in my mind from time to time. The alarms went off but I didn't know what to do. I panicked. _Mom, dad, what do I do?!_ I hollered, their bedroom across the smoke filled battlefield. _Get out honey, we'll be fine! Get to the neighbor's house and call 911, okay?_ My mom called back, so I got out of my bedroom through the window and did what they said. Get to the neighbor's house. Call 911. But they lied. My mom lied when she said they would be fine. The fire engulfed the house in minutes, the windows bursting out and the flames dancing evilly in the darkness of the night. The fire department couldn't do anything by the time they arrived. I heard my parents screams clear through the night. The sounds of sirens, fire, and heart breaking pleads for help still haunt me. I was put up for adoption and it wasn't long before Cinder took me in but, but sometimes I like the silence because I can hear their voices." I look down at my lap, trying to keep back tears but they force their way down my face. Nora rests her hand on my leg and a few tears fall onto her small and pale hand. Now she knows that I'm crying for sure. "I uh, I'd like to think they still watch over me, cheering me on, but that day left a scar through my heart. I'm not the same person they knew, not their little boy. I wouldn't be surprised if they stopped watching me a long time ago." I close my eyes and shake as I begin to see the memory before me. "She said they would be okay, she said they would be fine."

"Ren…" Nora whispers, moving her hand and taking mine slowly. "Ren, I didn't know. I'm sorry." I start to hear my heartbeat, feel each pulse through every cell in my body. Thump, thump, thump, _thump._ I intertwine our fingers and squeeze her hand, trying to stop the incoming sobs that want to rock my body. "It's okay, I know they're watching over you still." I'm breaking. I'm tearing at the seams and I want to stay tied up. Damn it Ren pull yourself together! You can't change anything now. Nothing can be changed. This is how life is now. Fucking come on and stop crying! Stop it, you're better than this! But am I really? How can I be better than this? Those teenagers took my parents and look at me! I'm no better! I took Weiss' father from her! She'll never know who it was, like I have no idea on who took my parents, but that's not the point.

I took him away from her just like they took them from me.

My breathing is heavy as I attempt to stop myself. My voice feels like it has been ripped from my throat, I can't speak. "Nora." My voice cracks and breaks as I speak her name. "You're still here?"

"Do you really think I would leave you like this? What kind of friend would I be?"

"Everyone else always left at this point." I stutter out through tears, keeping my head down so she wouldn't see my face. "No one really stayed around long enough to hear this, actually. Those that did always walked away from the mess that I am. That's why I stopped trying to make friends. There was no point."

I hear her let out a sigh and she snaps her fingers to signal to look at her. My magenta eyes are red and glossy, the streaks of fear and pain still wet on my cheeks. "I'm not going anywhere, I'm here to stay." Her voice is soft and light as her turquoise eyes pierce through my nightmares, instantly making me forget about them. "Okay?"

"O-okay." I mumble, my eyes darting away from her gaze. "Thanks, r-really." I clear my throat and wipe my face. "Why?"

"Because you're different, you're unique. You hide yourself but, you need someone to open up to. And well, you're a cool guy. I like you, a-as a friend of course!"

"That means a lot." I smile weakly, squeezing her hand one last time before letting it go and standing up. "Can we not let the others know about this?"

"Of course. Thank you for telling me Ren." I sigh and nod, heading inside as quickly as I can. The innocent girl sitting on my porch broke me in a time span of twenty minutes, something no one has been able to do ever. I see Weiss and Pyrrha talking in the living room and I'm hit with this horrible sense of guilt. You did what those assholes did to you ten years ago, how do you feel? I quake at my own thoughts and run into my room. I squint my eyes shut and slide down the door.

_You remember when you said one day I would break? Yeah well I'm breaking and I don't think it'll fix._

Cinder told me a few years back that I would experience a meltdown. Something that happens to everyone who realizes what they do is wrong. She said morals come back once more, even after correcting them. Apparently I'll be fine after this, but the connection is killing me. I'm the same person as those thugs. Being in their shoes makes me want to take back everything I've done.

_Ren, it is okay. They did what they did for fun, you do it because other people want it to happen. You're way better than them. You know that, you're just forgetting that. Stay strong, you know you're better than them. Don't let your past haunt you._

Haunt me. It always has haunted me. I kill because they killed them. I take a deep breath and stand up, pulling my gloves and slamming all of my weight into the bag. Violent swings, aggressive grunts, the sound of leather gloves hitting the bag. She's right. I am better. I am better. I will always be better than those scumbags.

* * *

><p>I hope you enjoyed learning about Ren's past babes! :) Review? Favorite? Share? ;)<p> 


	8. Change of Plans

I set my gloves down after a few minutes and wipe the sweat from my face, walking back out into the living room. The group is there, with the exception of Blake and Yang. "Still in bed." Jaune informs me as I sit beside him. "But forget them, we should go for a walk around the town!"

"Leave them here?" I question, furrowing my brow. I know they wouldn't go through my things, _hopefully_, but you can never be too sure.

"On days like this, if they are in bed till ten, they aren't getting up at all." Ruby admits. "Trust me, I know from experience. You don't want to be around them on days like this. Just a bad idea all around."

I widen my eyes and nod, looking over at Pyrrha and Weiss. "You guys want to go then?"

"Sure!" Pyrrha nods with a smile, and Weiss nods as well.

"Sweet. We should head out then." Jaune stands up and charges out the door. I laugh to myself and follow him out, the girls following close behind. The blonde boy leads us down the sidewalk and eventually we reach the main roads where a window with several televisions are reporting the news. A blue-haired guy with goggles on his forehead is reading from a piece of paper in his hands.

"Hello! I'm Neptune Vasilias reporting for Vale News! Our main story is about Schnee Power Company's founder Janus Schnee was found dead in his office early this morning. The back entrance's lock had been breached which seems to be the point of entrance the murderer took. The fire exit was most likely the exit. Mr. Schnee's autopsy will not be released to the public however relatives of the great founder will most likely receive this information. That is all, thank you."

Weiss stands emotionless, her eyes wide and her knees shaking. "What…" Her voice is quiet and rough. Ruby puts her arm around her shoulders and frowns, mumbling to the white-haired girl. I look down and try to ignore the guilty feeling in my stomach. "They're lying. That's wrong."

"Weiss I don't think so." Jaune mutters, looking away from her.

"I don't want to walk anymore."

Ruby rests her head on her shoulder and keeps mumbling to her, but I can't understand what she is whispering. Nora stands away from everyone slightly, silent. The tension is super high and I walk to Weiss, hugging her lightly. This takes everyone aback, but I do so anyway. Ruby pulls away as I put my arms around the quiet girl, and she hugs me back tightly. Weiss starts to cry softly and I rub up her back, frowning into her short shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"I am too." She mumbles, pulling away from me and smiling weakly. "Would you mind if I just went back?"

"Not at all. Someone go with her."

"I will." Ruby nods and Pyrrha steps to her side.

"I want to as well."

Jaune narrows his eyes and frowns. "Just us three then Ren?"

"Yeah, if you want to come with still Nora?" I ask. The orange-haired girl seems upset for her friend but there is another feeling I'm getting from her. I can't tell what it is though. She nods and starts walking off, still silent. I bid farewell to the three and I head off after Nora, catching up to her side. "You okay?" I whisper to her, my eyes glancing to watch her features.

"I'm fine." Nora mumbles, not bothering to look at me. What is her problem?

We pass a few more shops and Jaune decided to pull us into a club. I dislike clubs, mainly because I dislike drinking. But lucky for Jaune I did have a fake ID on me. "Do we have to?" I ask him and he just laughs.

"Have a drink, maybe drunk you is loud and fun!" Drunk me is violent and harsh. I don't want them to see that. If I have one drink then he can't have anything against me. I order myself a beer and drink it quickly, smirking at him.

"There, I had a drink." I snicker and walk out, hearing Nora scramble after me. She must have not wanted to be there either. After I check my watch I see that we were in there for a long time, even though it felt like literal seconds. Twenty minutes in that environment sure does fly by. However on further inspection I can tell that Nora is tipsy. "We should get back." I tell her. "You're not in a healthy condition." She steps up to me and looks up. Jaune is still in that damn club, get the fuck out here Arc!

"Why did you hug Weiss? Do you like her?" She must have had way more than I thought. I shake my head and furrow my brow.

"Nora her father was killed, I was just comforting her." I state, walking back in the direction my apartment is as Jaune walks out.

"Do you like anyone?" Her question causes me to stop and think. I don't know. Ruby, Weiss? No, I just met them and I'm not sexually attracted to her. Pyrrha? I'll admit she is stunning but I don't want a relationship with her. Jaune? I'm not gay, he's cool but not into dudes. Nora? Well, not that I'm aware of. Sure she's pretty and all but, but actually if I had to see any of them it would be her. Not Yang, too loud and she's gay so, same with Blake but she's more anti-social and doesn't seem to trust me.

"Not that I know of."

"Are you, y-you sure?" Nora lets out a drunken hiccup, her face seemingly broken.

"No." I shrug, turning to face her. "Why does it matter?"

"I'm just curious."

"Okay." We walk side by side, Jaune a few feet behind us. Nora is leaning into me slightly and I put my arm around her shoulders to steady her. Don't need her plummeting to the ground from her lack of balance. "I like someone."

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><p>Sorry this is shorter compared to my other stuff :(<p>

I'm just real stressed with real life and I'm sick yet again so I had little muse. This is what I wrote the day before and wanted to add onto, but just wasn't feeling it. Review? Favorite? Share? Thanks for the support babes, I'll try to get better soon :)


	9. Time

"I like someone." Nora admits and I stop to furrow my brow at her.

"Cool." I shrug. "I only say that because I assume you won't tell me who it is." The girl is silent and she just starts walking. Knew it. I allow Jaune to catch up with me and now think about this. Do I like anyone? More importantly, do I like Nora? I've never been this close with someone before, let alone a girl. But the feelings aren't that strange, I just feel more like my real self around her. That's it. No nerves, no worries.

"Are you interested in someone?" I ask Jaune, and he wobbles his slightly drunken head. "Who? If you don't mind me asking. How do you feel around them?"

"Pyrrha. I feel amazing around her, like I could conquer the world. I feel like butterflies are in my stomach and every time she touches me in any sort of way I feel flames dance from where she had contact with me. I feel like I can do anything when I'm with her, and that myself is the best me that there is."

I had no idea Jaune is deep like this. It is surprising, and quite sweet. That means I probably don't like Nora like that. Or I do. Damn it I'm not good at this. I unlock the door and walk in, Nora and Jaune following behind me. Weiss is asleep and curled in a blanket on the couch, her face blotchy and her hair a mess. Ruby is lying beside her, an arm around the weak girl's sleeping body. "I hate seeing her like this." Ruby whispers and I just nod.

"We'll stay away so that way she can sleep. Pyrrha is…?"

"In my bed. She was tired and didn't want to barge in on the other two so I said she can sleep there. Especially since I'm not leaving Weiss' side."

"Sleep well." I mumble and head into my room, the other two still trudging behind. The door shuts and Jaune drops onto the couch. He lets out a yawn and in minutes is snoring loudly. Great. Nora heads into the closet to change giving me enough time to as well. As she steps out she lays down and looks over at me.

"Have you ever had feelings for someone?"

"Romantically? No." I admit without thinking. "I think I might like someone now but honestly this is something really new and weird for me since I've never been close to a girl let alone close to a person, so I don't know what any of these feelings mean."

"You're rambling, slow down." She groans. "Tell me what you are feeling then."

"Confusion. But, but she makes me feel like a better me. I feel like I can open up to her and not worry about what she thinks because well, she wouldn't think negatively about me."

"You seem to dig her." Nora smiles weakly but I can see pain behind her plastic mask. "Go for it, what do you have to lose?"

A lot. I have a lot to lose. If I'm wrong and I don't like her then I could mess up our friendship. Why not Ren, what's the harm? What happens if I have to kill her next? This is why I'm not supposed to get attached! Like you said from day one, she is just a pawn. But just because she is a pawn doesn't mean you can't get her across the board to be a queen. Damn it why do I have to be right?

"What if she's into-"

"Ren, I'm not stupid. She's into Ren."

"What do you mean?"

"I like you too, you idiot." A cheeky grin spreads across her face and I just stare at her, dumbfounded. "I'm not stupid. Besides, you've barely spent any time alone with any of the other girls." She laughs lightly and motions for me to sit beside her. "I know you've never been close to others, and that's alright. I understand you being walled up and locked in. But if you like me, and I like you, shouldn't we do something about it?"

I don't know. I sit beside her and look down at my lap, watching my hands fidget every once in a while. Do it Ren. But I can't because I could hurt her. You know you won't. I can't because she deserves better. You're the absolute best. She thinks you are too. Stop it! She rests her hand on my leg her head on my shoulder. "You were drinking. I don't believe anything you are saying."

"There you go pushing people away." She mumbles. "Look, can't say I didn't try. Just go so I can sleep."

I nod and get up, laying down by the door and shutting off the light. Idiot. Tell her now. Get up and kiss her. Do it. The more you sit here in the dark the more alone and distant you become. Go. I sigh at my own bickering thoughts and get up. I'm right, what do I have to lose? All I do is push people away, maybe this one time I need to accept them in.

I approach her bedside and look down on her. I know she's pretending to sleep. "Nora." I whisper, crouching down so that way as she turns we are face to face. "I'm done pushing away." I hesitate for a moment before leaning in and kissing her cheek. "I've never been into someone before, let alone been friends with one person so-"

"It's okay."

"Wait, really?"

"I knew you would do this anyway. Your biggest weakness is yourself Ren." Nora's voice is light and comforting as it rings in my ears, bouncing off of the walls. "I don't want to make anything of us yet though, I'm going to give you time to decided what you think of me. Good night."

My phone vibrates on the dresser and I grab it quickly, nodding my goodnight to Nora and lying back down. Cinder.

_Target: Summer Rose. Look I don't know why all the hits recently have been for your new found friends' family but this may be someone testing your stance in the guild. Do not let me down._

I widen my eyes and set my phone down, running a hand through my hair. Ruby's mother? I just killed Weiss' father and now I have to kill Ruby's mother?

_Break confidentiality and find out who sent these hits in._

_Are you still going to do it?_

_After I find out who sent them in._

_Alright Ren, I should know by tomorrow. Stay sharp._

_Stay sharp._

I turn my phone off and set it next to me, pulling the blanket up over my body and shutting my eyes. Oh Ruby, I feel sorry for having to take your Summer time away from you, I really do. Let's hope you have a bad relationship with your mother and you can get over this quickly, because you really don't deserve this.

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><p>I feel like these shorter chapters actually work for the story, too much insanity and you start to go a bit mad yourself! I hope you enjoyed babes :) It seems this might be a shorter story, since I'm losing muse for it little by little, which is depressing :( Hopefully the muse will kick back up and I won't be stuck with shitty chapters like I am now :


	10. Understanding

Sorry for the lack of updates! Long story short, personal shit is now fixed! Expect these every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for a solid scedule, however extra chapters may be posted from time to time! Enjoy :)

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><p>I jolt awake to the sound of loud footsteps, blue eyes locking with mine as I scan the room. "I'm so sorry." Nora mumbles quickly. I shoot her a weak smile and just laugh, motioning her to sit beside me. "Jaune went out for a run and I forgot that you were still here, you're usually up before I am."<p>

"It's okay." I respond, my hand resting on her leg. I can sense her muscles tense up which causes me to smirk slightly, proud of myself that I am able to have that sense of control over someone. "Did you just wake up?"

"Kind of." Glancing over I notice that she is wearing a pink crop top and a pair of slimming jeans; I know what she means now.

I smile wider and tie my hair back. "That looks nice on you." I comment, keeping my gaze away from her bright blue eyes. She rests her hand on top of mine and squeezes it lightly, resting her head on my shoulder. "This is nice."

"You think so?" Her words are soft and almost silent like the apartment.

"Damn good." I whisper. "This is new to me, so you have to give me time." I grip her hand lightly and lean my head against hers.

"I can wait."

Our moment is broken as my phone vibrates. I reach over and unlock it quickly, seeing the message from Cinder.

_Broke code for you, seems we've gotten those contracts from an individual called Sun Wukong. I'll send you information about him when I can, and will not open any more contracts received from him until you give me word on what you want to do._

_Thank you Cinder, stay sharp. Make sure Roman and Neo don't get into any more trouble._

_Trust me, I'm calling the trouble head on._

I put my phone in my pocket with a sigh, biting my lip. Who is that? Should I know who he is? Nora glances over at me and stands up, pulling me up with her. "I'm going to take a shower." I tell her, rubbing her knuckles before letting her hand go and heading into my bathroom. I pull my phone back up and sigh, looking into Summer Rose.

I feel bad for having to do this to Ruby, I really do. But this is what I have to do. I set my phone down on the sink edge and climb into the hot shower stream. Why target them?

I pull a shirt over my head and zip my jeans up, tying my hair up once again. I head out into the living room to see Nora sitting and talking with Jaune and Pyrrha, her face lighting up as she sees me. Weiss is sat on Ruby's lap as the two chat with Blake and Yang, whose hands are locked. I still don't know what is with Ruby and Weiss but that is none of my business. Weiss' smile contradicts the lost look in her eyes. The pain behind the icy blue eyes strikes me like frostbite; it makes me feel numb. "How are you?" I ask as I walk over, sitting beside the cuddling girls.

"O-okay." Ruby tightens her hold on the white-haired girl which causes her to grin. "I haven't gone back to see my mother but we've talked on the phone. I'm probably going to move in with Ruby and Yang which means also living with Blake, which will be fun. I just can't stay at home knowing he's gone." Her voice is weak, tired, and strained. Pools of emotion build at her eyes but Weiss quickly buries her face into Ruby's neck to hide the pain.

"There there." Ruby whispers, rubbing her back slowly.

"I'm so sorry." I mumble. We sit in silence as Pyrrha, Jaune, and Nora chat, as well as Yang and Blake's giggling. They are cute together, I will give them that. Weiss' body is clinging to Ruby, muscles tight with fear and sorrow. I did this to her. You broke her Ren, you did this to her. You took her fragile ice heart and smashed it into the ground. You took that blade to her father's throat and you feel no guilt about it whatsoever.

"Yes I do." I growl under my breath, thankful that no one heard me. Damn it I'm letting my own mind get to me! "Weiss, I respect you for staying so strong."

"I-I'm not." She sniffles. "I'm sobbing into Ruby like a baby."

"But you're not crumbling, you're still in one piece. I, can't say the same for myself when I lost my parents." Everyone now has their eyes on Weiss and I. "Crying is not weakness."

"I didn't know you lost your parents." Weiss pulls herself away from Ruby's neck and wipes her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"I know how you're feeling." My voice is cracking as I fight back the urge to cry along with her. Nora's eyes are wide in surprise. "I wish I had someone like Ruby there for me then, you're lucky to have her." Ruby grins at my statement, her silver eyes bright with pride. She puts her arms around Weiss' waist, holding the girl tightly in her lap. Ruby's head rests on the icy-eyed girl's shoulder. "Keep her around."

"I'm not letting her go, trust me." Weiss' words waver in pitches, but a smile grows on her small face. Jaune and Pyrrha pull themselves out of the conversation, starting to talk among themselves yet again.

"You're so cute together." Yang laughs, causing the two smaller girls to blush.

"It isn't like that."

"Y-yeah, we're just friends." Ruby stutters, her face bright red just like her shirt.

Blake rolls her eyes. "Come on, just look at the way you two are sat." She teases with a smirk. "Weiss all curled up in Ruby's lap."

"Stop." Weiss grumbles, Ruby frowning at her words. Is Ruby into her? And if Weiss didn't feel the same way back, why would she sit with her like that? Why sleep on the couch with her last night?

"Ren?" Nora's voice drags me back to Earth. I turn my head to see her now sitting beside me. I take her hand in mine and nod to acknowledge her. "You opened up."

"Yep." I whisper with a chuckle in my voice and a grin on my face. "Felt like these are my true friends now, no need to hide. Well, thanks to you."

True friends… that you're destroying by killing their families. Weiss, now Ruby. Soon to be Ruby. I can't do that. I can't. She's my friend, I cannot tear her apart like I did with Weiss.

Weiss' father's death was a mistake.

"They still stand by you." Nora mumbles. "And they always will." Her smile is wide and sparking white. I can trust her; I do trust her.

But they wouldn't if they knew I killed Weiss' father.

"I'm so thankful for that." I whisper to her, my lips pressing lightly against the top of her pale hand. I can't get out of this contract though, I can't. I made an oath to the guild that whatever I started, I must finish. I look back over at the two "friends" and furrow my brow as I watch Ruby tickle Weiss into bright laughter. If Ruby is effected like Weiss is after this, both girls will be depressed.

If they really are my friends, I can't do that to them.

I excuse myself out of the room and call Cinder, tapping my foot impatiently waiting for her to answer. "Hello?"

"Cinder, I don't think I can do this contract." My voice is hushed and strained as I gasp out words I never thought I would say before. "I mean I love killing, I love the rush, and I know it is what I have to do but I can't do that to Ruby. Not after what I did to Weiss."

"My my, my poor Ren." Cinder's voice is monotone as usual, strong and fearful as ever. "I understand what you mean, if I had to kill Mercury's mother I don't think I would be able to either."

"Really?!"

"Of course." She mutteres. "We all have loyalties to stand behind besides the guild. If you got a contract to kill me, would you do it?"

"Never."

"Exactly." The line goes silent for a while, before she finally speaks up again. "I'll forward you information gathered on Mr. Wukong, spend your time figuring out if he knows you are part of the Safety Blade. It is easy to see that he has taken target to you and your little friends."

"Thank you Cinder."

Her voice comes off in a chuckle. "My pleasure Ren, you know that. I'm glad you choked up what you were feeling. I'd hate to see you do something you would regret, even in the name of the Blade. As this regions headmaster, I truly understand. The contract will be burned immediately. I'll get what I know about Sun to you as soon as possible, and will look into his reasons and connections with your friends as well. Stay sharp."

"Stay sharp." I hang up the phone and tuck it into my pocket, letting out a sigh of relief. Maybe my twisted conscious will go away again, after all, I don't need another voice in my mind.

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><p>Review? Share? Favorite? Thanks babes :)<p> 


	11. Still Got It

I slide my phone into my pocket with a sigh of relief. I won't have to hurt Ruby or Summer. I walk back out and everyone but Weiss, Ruby, and Nora are gone. "Where did they go?" I ask, sitting in between them.

"Blake and Yang went out for a date." Weiss answers, still curled up on Ruby's lap. "I believe Jaune went to football practice since it's Thursday, which means Pyrrha has cheer." I nod and Nora leans into me with a soft sigh.

"We should do something, the four of us."

Weiss widens her eyes at my proposition. "L-like a date? A doubt date?"

"Sure, you can call it that." I smile, taking Nora's hand. "It would be fun." From the corner of my eyes I can see Ruby is quite fond of the idea. "But first, I need to you Weiss. Alone." Nora gets up and the white-haired girl gets off of Ruby, allowing us to talk in private. The front door shuts behind them and I speak up. "What is Ruby to you?"

"M-my best friend."

Time to get in her head. "Are you sure that there is nothing more to your relationship?" We sit in silence for a few minutes before I press her again. "Weiss, you love her don't you?"

"Daddy never approved of same sex relationships." She cries, her face buried in her hands now. "_Monsters_, he would say, _fiends_, _freaks_. I'm normal, I just wanted daddy to love me. I couldn't be what he hated, I can't be what he hates." I frown and rest my hand on her leg comfortingly. "I couldn't ever tell him how I was feeling, I couldn't. He would see gay news on the television and shut it off, spitting in disgust. I couldn't, I couldn't be what put him off like that."

"He isn't here to change you anymore. Damn it, he can't change you! Weiss no one can change you and no one should try to. Yang and Blake aren't freaks, they're happy. No one is a monster because of sexual orientation. That is who you are." My words hit her powerfully, causing the sobs to stop rocking her elegant frame.

"But h-he would hate me."

"He will always love you, you don't have to worry about it. He'll never know anyway. Weiss you need to be honest with yourself, you need to love yourself. Do you love her?"

The fragile friend of mine looks up at me, icy blue eyes wide with fear. "Ren, I-I really love her. I love being with her and laying in her lap. I love making her smile and I love seeing her get protective over me. I love when she puts her arms around me and kisses my neck like the amazing friend she is, and when she wipes away my tears with her thumbs. I love everything about that damn girl."

I smile to myself, proud at how easily I could manipulate her. I haven't lost my touch. "You need to tell her." This will give me the time I need to look into Sun, maybe evening allowing me to ask Nora about him. That reminds me, Cinder probably sent me the information, she Is a fast worker. I should check that.

"Uh, Ren?" Weiss breaks me out of my trance. "Did you hear what I said?"

"N-no, sorry. Can you repeat yourself please?" I mumble embarrassedly.

"What do you think Ruby would say? How, how will she feel?"

I think for a moment, looking down at her small and shaky hands. "I think Ruby loves you too." A wide grin hides the fact that the lot girl had been sobbing a little while back. I can't help but grin back at her before standing up. I lead the way outside, Ruby and Nora sitting on the porch. Weiss steps out and Ruby looks to her, frowning when she sees the blotchy face left as a result from crying.

"Are you okay?!" She mumbles quickly, standing up and stepping towards Weiss. The white-haired girl nods and rests her arms over Ruby's shoulders, pressing their lips together quickly. Nora widens her eyes and we both can see the fireworks flying around the two. You could really tell that they both wanted this for a while.

Weiss pulls away after a minute of lip smacking and grins, their foreheads resting on one another's. "I have never, never ever, been better."

Nora tugs on my shirt and I walk off with her, smiling proudly. "Did you cause that?" Nora asks with a laugh.

"I'm just doing things for the good of others." I smirk, taking her hand in mine and intertwining our fingers. Shit, shit focus! "Wait one second." I say, pulling out my phone and seeing the message from Cinder. Just like I thought.

_Sun Wukong, apparently goes to Beacon High with you. He's tall, blonde hair with brown eyes. He's arrogant and the funny guy, so he should be quite loud. Friends with blue-haired Neptune. I'll gather more for you when I can, but I don't see anything on why he would want to hurt your new friend group. He might be a part of the Ragged Bullet._

The Ragged Bullet is an enemy guild to the Safety Blade, trying to break us from the inside so we can't do the killing. Basically they think that our job is not needed and that contracts are pointless. People that think like that make me sick.

"Sorry about that." I mumble, putting my phone back in my pocket. I'm greeted with a smiling Nora that just shrugs, Weiss and Ruby finally getting to our sides. "What took you so long?" But my question is answered with the sight of lipstick on Ruby's neck and Weiss' jawline. Nora snickers and Weiss furrows her eyebrows in confusion.

"What?"

Nora slides a finger over Weiss' jaw and pink lipstick is stained on her finger. She does the same to Ruby's neck, the red glossing over her other finger. Both girls widen their eyes and blush deeply.

"I'm not judging." I laugh, grabbing Nora's wrist and leading her down the sidewalk.

Maybe I'll run into Sun today. Maybe my knife will run into his throat sometime in the future. Who knows?

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><p>Shorter update today as I've been writing a paper for English class as well as keeping up honors world history reports D:<p>

Review? Share? Favorite? Thanks babes :)


	12. Safety Blade

I guess I can't be vague about the Safety Blade any longer, can I? The organization works toward the goal of eliminating people who are seen as obstacles, problems, or unwanted. Formed after the Great War of 2002 to take down the Chinese government, it was originally a government run group. After the successful destruction of China's ruler, the operation was thrown to the side and soon titled "Project V". The guild was forgotten about for a years, ties and assassins dropped from work. Cinder and Torchwick a few years ago broke into a file storage database through the encrypted data bases and found the contacts used in the operation. That quickly sums up the foundation of the Safety Blade.

Now we work on contracts assigned from anyone that submits them with payment. Some like the Ragged Bullet would say that it is bad because we kill "without reason", but behind those contracts is a story with a reason; a story with a motive. Torchwick is usually in charge of distributing contracts based on area, different sectors of America. These are the four units of the guild North, South, East, and West; Cinder and I are stationed in the East. But if Torchwick has been working on a contract and even needed Cinder's help, that would explain the lack of work. I hope they get everything under control.

Payment is a different story though. Normally it is money, half enclosed in the contract and half deposited at a drop location to make sure we follow through. Amounts range from hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on the difficulty of the kill and the individual. This is the point where we can also turn down contracts. If we believe the decision is unethical or the payment is too little, we send the request to the burn pile. Not only that, but contracts hit against member also get burned. We never cross a fellow Blade. If contracted by company heads, we usually receive goods and or services licensed by said company.

So, what is our purpose? Simply to kill.

That's why Sun is quite clever if he is targeting me, he must know that I'm a part of the Safety Blade, otherwise he wouldn't go for Weiss and Ruby. Crafty son of a bitch. Tear me from the inside, from my new found emotions and from my new found friends. It would be something the Ragged Bullet would do alright.

The Ragged Bullet is sort of an enemy guild to our own, they act like everything they do is perfect and pure but they really just want to do what we do. They've made it their mission to take us down one assassin at a time and well, I guess they caught on to me. They don't need much explanation, well maybe I just don't know enough about them to explain...

Nora squeezes my hand and breaks me away from my thoughts, causing me to smile. "You did a good thing, Ren." She whispers, motioning toward Ruby and Weiss who are holding hands in front of us. "Whatever you did that is."

"I just talked to her about it." I shrug. "Do you know anyone named Sun Wukong?"

"Yeah, he used to hang with Jaune. Why do you ask?"

"I just want to know who he is. Tell me more, please?" With wide magenta eyes and a sly smile, Nora gives into my puppy dog face.

"He's the running back on the football team, and is pretty annoying. He had this thing for Blake which caused Yang and him to fight on more than one occasion. Let's just say that Yang is a lot stronger than she looks. Eventually he caught onto the fact that we didn't want him around and got tired of fighting with Yang for Blake so he left us alone."

So maybe this isn't just about our clashing guilds, maube this is about them as well. But why Weiss' father and Ruby's mother, instead of Yang or Blake? Actually, Weiss' father leading the Schnee Power Company makes him a good target, but Summer seems like a normal adult. I'm getting no where with this. I sigh and look over at Nora. "Thanks." I whisper, kissing the top of her hand lightly. Her face turns a light shade of pink and we walk into the ice cream parlor. "Why here?" I ask.

"Ruby wanted some." Weiss laughs, disconnecting from the girl to walk over to us. "You want any?"

"Vanilla, please." I nod. Nora asks for strawberry and Weiss walks back to the younger girl. "That's very kind of her. I'll have to pay her back."

"Schnee's have money, you don't need to worry." Nora mumbles to me. That makes a lot of sense. The Schnee's have their hands in virtually everything in town. They're probably the wealthiest family in all of Vale.

"I guess so." The two walk over and Weiss hands me a cone, Ruby passing Nora one as well. "Thank you so much."

"My pleasure Ren." She smiles and pecks Ruby's cheek. I squeeze Nora's hand and I lead the four of us out. The sun is high and shining in the sky. Bright blue stretches of sky are occasionally interrupted by dull patches of gray, various patterns of clouds flowing across the vast space. Nora's turquoise eyes widen happily at the lovely weather. She is just like a ball of sunshine. "Park?" Weiss asks, getting a quick nod from Ruby. I laugh and nod in agreement, licking at the frozen treat in my hand. I glance at the new couple and see Ruby already finishing her chocolate cone and stealing licks from Weiss' vanilla. "H-hey!"

"Princess, share!"

I roll my eyes playfully and laugh yet again, leading ahead with Nora. "Speaking of Sun…" She grumbles under her breath, blue eyes glancing at a tall boy walking towards us. Slanted brown eyes, short blonde hair and a wicked frown.

"Nora, long time no see!" His frown softens into what seems to be a friendly and gentle smile. "Who is this?"

"Lie Ren." I answer with a slight sigh. "But you can call me Ren."

"Sun Wukong, nice to meet you! You two a thing?"

"Yes we-"

"None of your business Sun." Nora growls. I could see the fiery anger hidden behind glassy eyes.

Sun laughs lightly and scratches the back of his head. "Come on Nora, you can't still be mad at me." If I didn't know any better, I would think Sun is a pretty cool guy.

"You fought Yang on several accounts to win Blake, who doesn't even like guys, like she was a trophy!"

"It wasn't like that." He shakes his head. "At that time she was meant a lot more to me than I let on. I fought Yang to prove I wasn't messing around."

Nora takes a deep breath in what I assume is an attempt to calm down. "Yang and Blake had been dating already. As their friend you should have let it be rather than get beat up by a girl."

I stand in silence and watch as Ruby and Weiss walk up behind us. "I know, and I truly am sorry."

"You better be." Ruby says, crossing her arms.

"I am, I miss you guys." Sun sports a frown of sadness on his face. Does he really? He looks to me and narrows his eyes as he directs a sentence to Weiss. "I heard about your father, I'm so so sorry." He must know I was the one behind it, if he dares to look me in the eyes when saying such things to Weiss. I break my stare with the boy and look to Weiss. Ruby has an arm around her waist to keep her from shaking.

"It's okay."

"No, the person that did that deserves to die. Too bad they got away." I feel his eyes slowly slide off of me. Thank God.

"We have to go Sun. It was er, nice, to meet you." I mumble, starting to lead Nora away. He grabs her arm to stop us. I glare at him and he quickly lets her go.

"We should all hang again sometime! I'm sure Neptune misses you all too. I'll shoot Jaune a text asking for your number Ren."

"Nine two seven, eight three four, one five zero three." I sigh and pull Nora away. Her jaw drops and her question comes out in a stutter.

"Why would you give him your number?"

I shrug. "Jaune would have given it to him anyway." That and well, now I have direct contact to who I need to get to know. The way this played out is perfect. Ruby and Weiss catch up to us once again and Weiss lets out a huff before I get a chance to see her.

"I don't like him. I n-never really did." Her face is pale and wet streaks of pain slide down her small face.

"Princess, I'm sure he didn't bring it up to have you hurt. I think he was truly sorry." Ruby kisses Weiss' neck lightly with a slight smile. "Don't cry."

I tighten my hold on Nora's hand and send a firm look to the hurt girl. "If he did it on purpose then he is weak."

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><p>Back story of the Safety Blade! Review? Share? Favorite? I'm back babes! :D<p> 


	13. Nightmares

"Y-you think so Ren?" Weiss mumbles out, frowning at the cracked pavement below our feet. "No, no you're right. I doubt he did it on purpose anyway. Sun may have been, annoying, but he wasn't rude or hurtful."

Yeah I'd beg to differ Miss Schnee, I mean he had your father killed. But Ren, you were the one that killed him. Not as bad as the one that ordered him dead. You slit his throat, and cut up his stomach, you watched him bleed. I did what I had to do. You enjoyed it. You found it fun.

"Stop!" I shout, quickly blushing as all three of the look at me quickly. "Stop with the nonsense, it doesn't matter." I play off a laugh to make it seem normal. "Let's just go chill at the park and h-have a nice time."

My mind is getting to me again. The paranoia is sinking in and it is not good. I feel twisted, and crazy. I need to sink my blade into Sun's chest and maybe just maybe this haunting feeling will go away. This is why I never got close to people, because things like _this_ happen and now I can't focus on my work. Fuck. Nora leads us on to the park and I try to just focus on our date, but I can't. I can't focus on one of the two without dropping the other.

I can't drop my pursuit of Sun, that's not happening. But, but I like Nora. I like being friends with Weiss and Ruby. I like being friends with Blake and Yang. I like being friends with Pyrrha and Jaune. I like being their friend.

"Text the other four and have them meet us." Ruby tells Weiss but to our surprise we see Blake and Yang standing in front of the park entrance. Yang's arm is wrapped around Blake's waist and both are smiling at us.

"Beat you to the idea." Blake smirks. "Pyrrha and Jaune well, let's just say they aren't coming."

"They end up in bed with each other again?" Weiss asks with a huff. Yang lets out a snicker and nods.

"Wait, again? Aren't they not dating?" I ask, honestly confused.

"They both have a thing for each other but won't tell one another so sometimes they get really lusty and well, do this. They're at the hotel down the street from here so we probably won't see them again tonight."

I furrow my eyebrows and just shrug. "Whatever I guess. That's stupid though."

"Jaune's a pussy who won't ask Pyrrha out." Nora's comment causes us all to laugh as we walk into the flowery garden. Yang notices Ruby and Weiss holding hands and screeches out in happiness.

"Are you two?!" Weiss places a hand on Ruby's cheek and kisses Ruby softly, causing Yang to giggle louder. "Aw finally!"

"Congratulations." Blake smiles, pulling Yang farther ahead. Nora and I pull ourselves away from the group, sitting under a large oak tree, hiding in the shade. She sits in my lap and rests her forehead in the crook of my neck. I glide my hand up and down her small back slowly, kissing the top of her head. I want to show Nora that I'm actually interested in her, I want to kiss her. I've watched her bite her lip and honestly, I want to bite them too.

"Nora." I whisper, causing her to look up. Maybe her purity will shed off on me, maybe her love will make my paranoia go away. I hold her chin in my hand lightly and mold my lips to hers, slowly shutting my magenta eyes. Nora's warm breath cascades onto my face and I can't help but chuckle against her soft lips, parting from her after.

"D-didn't expect that." She giggles, her face bright red. "What brought on that?"

"Nothing really." I smile down at her, running a hand through her hair. Wide blue eyes drill into my soul and I feel better with myself. I may have made some rather poor choices, but she is not one of them. "I just, wanted to kiss you." Nora grins widely and cranes her neck to kiss me again, lips pulled up happiness.

She pulls away and giggles again. "I'm really glad I yelled at you that one day."

"That was only a month or so ago." I point out flatly. "But I'm glad you did too, because you're so great." I roll my eyes playfully and kiss her forehead, watching her cheeks blush lightly. I glance over and see Ruby on top of Weiss, my eyes widening and my head whipping back to Nora.

"What?"

"They're making out."

"Oh…"

We sit and relax in the shade quietly, just enjoying each other's company. This is what I need, I need to just clear my mind and calm down. Of course I need to take Sun down but, but this is more important. My health is more important. Before I know it, I've actually fallen asleep.

_I open my eyes to see a red forest around me; I'm still leaning up against a tree. However I am alone in the clearing, red leaves dancing on the light wind. I go to stand up and my legs wobble underneath me, my strength seeming to escape me. I glance about the clearing to see myself surrounded by large trees, the leaves dusting the floor. All is calm and well until I hear an all too familiar cackle from behind me._

"_You haven't changed a bit."_

_I turn around quickly and widen my eyes to see a group of older adults, arms crossed. The one in the front has his arms behind his back, before he exposes a small book of matches. I widen my eyes and start to walk back as he flicks one match against the book, the flame igniting and shining in the dark night._

"_Do you want to go out like your parents did? It is as simple as blowing out a candle…"_

_I go to speak but my voice is trapped in my throat. The floating leaves start to puff up in ash as the group chuckles evilly, beautiful hints of red become dangerous flame. The trees around us start to whittle down before my eyes, bark peeling and crumbling into ash. The black dust is carried on the wind, swarming around the group._

"_Come on Ren, don't fear us. Come in to our embrace, you have no one to call to now."_

_With a shake of my head I bolt through the single passage through the dying trees, black blur breezing behind me as I run for my life. My breathing is heavy and my heart is beating so quickly where I feel like it is going to crack my chest and burst out. Cinder, Nora, Weiss, someone anyone help!_

_I crash into Nora and I roll back, my head pounding. I can use my voice again. "I-I'm so sorry!"_

"_You'll be sorry for killing Weiss' father." Nora's words are rough and sharp; she sounds nothing like herself. Her hand moves from behind her back to expose a lit match and a wicked smirk curls onto her mouth._

"_Nora what are you, no!" I cry out, scrambling backwards to try to escape her. "Please Nora, you wouldn't understand. Please!"_

"_You know what you did was wrong, Ren. You aren't the person I thought you were. I can't bare to be with you knowing this, I can't bare to know you are alive knowing this."_

_Nora raises the match up and steps on my leg to hold me in place before dropping the fiery item on my coat, the green fabric catching on fire almost immediately. I gasp and struggle to get the article off, but two feet come down to hold my arms flat against the floor: Yang and Blake._

"_Sorry man, you were quite cool but stupid." Yang sighs. Blake nods, her amber eyes flickering as the deadly heat reflects off the orbs. My pleads and screams tear into the air and I flail to try and escape the fire._

"_You deserve this for hurting my princess." Ruby's foot comes down on my side, knocking the wind out of me. Jaune's foot comes down on the other, while Pyrrha steps on my other leg. This is pure torture! The smell of burning flesh fills my nose and my nerves are literally on fire._

"_How could you Ren?"_

_I open my eyes to see Weiss pearched in a dead tree, tears down her face._

"_Ren…?"_

"Ren?" I jump awake at the sound of Nora's question, my heart beating a mile a minute. She wears a soft smile, something totally different to my dream. "Are you okay? You started flailing and it was worrying me."

"I-I'll be fine." I breath, letting the sigh glide out slowly. Maybe this is something I need to tell them.

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><p>Hey, how was the chapter? You should let me know by leaving a review and or hitting me up on Tumblr ( .com)! A favorite is also always appreciated, and it would be real sweet if you could share this babes. Thanks for the support, I'll see you on Monday!<p> 


	14. Truth

I pant slowly and Nora rests her forehead on mine, sighing. "Tell me what that was all about."

"I can't." I whisper. "You can't know."

"Ren, tell me." She pleads. I shake my head and her blue orbs pierce me. Thinking back to my day dream, or my nightmare, I can see the dull flame of the math flickering in the oceans before me. My face no doubt goes pale and my own mind yells at me again. Tell her Ren! Stop lying to her! How in the world can I tell her I kill people though? She would hate me; Nora would see me as a monster. She believes in you and loves you, she wants the best for you! She doesn't love me!

I close my eyes and hold back tears. This is not the time to break apart again. "Would anything change your opinion of me? Would it make you care any less?"

Silence.

"I don't know."

"Do you really want to know?"

"Fucking hell Ren just tell me!"

I pick her up, with a surprised yelp from Nora, and carry her out of the park. I need to make sure we are alone, and from her lack of struggle she knows that too. It's only a few minutes before I fumble with my keys and get us inside, setting her down. "I won't blame you if you left me, left this place, after I tell you. But, you can't tell the others."

"A-alright."

I take a deep breath and rub my eyes, avoiding her gaze. Everything around the room suddenly is a lot more interesting to look at compared to her. "I'm, I'm an assassin. I'm part of an organization that takes people's contracts and kills for a living."

Nora's jaw is dropping to the floor, her eyes doubling in size. "Y-you…?" However she couldn't finish her question.

"I can't explain much but, Sun is part of an enemy guild. He was the one that requested for Mr. Schnee's death."

"How do y-you know that?" Ear shattering quietness and tight tension separate us. "Did you…?" I already know her question so I cut her off.

"Yes." I say under my breath. "Before I was close to you guys, I was assigned the contract of taking Mr. Schnee's life."

Nora takes a step or two away from me, I can already tell she is afraid of me. She is shaking. "Do you have a, contract, n-now?"

"No, but I was supposed to take out Ruby's mother. I refused it. That's when I found out Sun was sending in those assignments. I've taken it upon myself to figure out why he wants to hurt you all and to either stop him or die trying."

She believes me, that's one thing I can say. "You'd rick your life, for us?"

"I finally feel like I have a home, Nora. You all including Cinder are my family. I hurt the family, so I should be disowned. It is only right that my life be on the line now."

Silence.

"If you have questions, ask."

"Do you still have the murder weapon?"

"Yes."

"Is this, this why you're loaded?"

I nod slowly, watching her tense muscles start to relax. Maybe she doesn't think I'm a villain after all. "Yeah, Cinder and I make a… small, fortune from this."

"Tell me about Cinder."

"She founded the group with her friend Roman. She's swift, strong, silent, everything we need to be. Cinder is compassionate and caring but ruthless when she needs to be; it is like she can flip her feelings on and off. She's perfect for this."

Nora hesitates. "Is she your guardian?"

"Yes. She took me in after my parents passed and taught me everything she knew. I'll never be as good as she is though, no one will be."

The silence is breaking me. Damn it Nora just tell me what the hell you are thinking!"

"If, if you still need a place to stay I'd like you to stay here." I mumble, kicking at the floor. "I want you around."

"Are you done killing?"

Her question takes me by surprise. "If it means staying with my friends and y-you, yes." I stutter.

"You don't have to." She whispers, finally closing the distance and hugging me tightly. She is crying. "Just, just showing that you would give it up is enough to prove that you aren't a monster. This will be o-our secret. But you have to promise me one thing."

I sigh in relief and kiss the top of her head. "What?"

"Don't get paranoid. Talk to me about it so you don't feel trapped and alone. I'm in this with you now."

Looks like my pawn is actually now a quen. I rub her back slowly and nod; she's staying around. "Thank you for not viewing me as a monster."

"My father was a murderer." Nora whispers, hiding her face back in my neck. "What you do doesn't bother me."

"Is, is that why you need a place to stay?"

"K-killed my mother, then was exceuted." She mumbles.

My heart sinks as I feel her cling to me tighter, cries shaking her. "Nora, Nora I'm sorry."

"That's okay, it's okay." She looks up at me with wide and tearing eyes. "Can I really stay here with you?"

"Of course." I whisper. "Where have you been living?"

"Pyrrha's. Her parents said they didn't mind but I know they want me out." I nod and wipe the salty streams off of her face, kissing her forehead gently. Maybe I'm not like Cinder, maybe I can't turn my emotions off. But maybe one day I'll learn to balance them; this seems like a good day to start trying. Nora smiles weakly at me and pulls my neck down to fit our lips together.

We pull away after a minute or so and I grin at her, laughing. "You're going to live with me."

"I-it's not that big of a deal." Nora giggles and disconnects herself from me as the door opens. Yang is pulling Blake through the door and laughing, shutting the door on the other two before kissing Blake's neck. "Get a room."

"S-sorry!" Blake blushes deeply, very embarrassed that her girlfriend has no self-control, and she tugs the blonde away to their room. The door slams, yet again, and Weiss stomps through the front in perfect timing.

"That blonde is such a handful." She grumbles angrily, Ruby hugging the girl from behind sweetly. "You're not making it any better."

"Calm down Weiss it's okay."

I laugh loudly and scratch the back of my head, shrugging. "Don't worry about them."

"You'll be worrying when you hear Yang through the walls." Weiss sighs. "That girl is so loud."

"What about Blake?" Nora questions.

"Not nearly as bad. You can't hear her over that brute."

"Weiss, rude!"

"Oh shush it Ruby!"

I roll my eyes at their banter and make my escape to my room as my phone buzzes in my pocket.

_I'll be home soon, in a day or so. I got Roman's contract under control so he should be back to distribution shortly. Your friends can stay if they want, I don't care. As long as my room is empty of them when I get back._

_Pyrrha and Jaune's things are gone so I doubt they are going to be back. I'll let the others know. Thank you Cinder._

_Anytime little Ren._

I shove my phone back into my pocket and head back out, seeing Ruby on Weiss' back and a laughing Nora as the girl in white struggles to get her girlfriend off of her. "Hey, Rubes come on get off!"

"But princess!" Ruby whines and giggles, peppering kisses to Weiss' neck. "I like this!"

"Fine." She huffs and stops her struggle. Weiss wears a smile on her face, even though she is acting like she is pissed off.

I clear my throat and the three look to me. "Cinder said she'll be here probably by tomorrow. The guest room is open to you, if you want it."

"I moved in with Ruby, Yang, and Blake." Weiss mumbles. "But this would be a really good way to escape them."

"You wouldn't have to complain about hearing them." Ruby points out.

Weiss widens her eyes and grins widely. "Yes! I'd love to move in! Ren, Ren our savior!"

I laugh and smile widely, watching her dance around and fling Ruby off her back. Luckily Ruby lands on her feet and seems to not even care in the slightest. "You've made her very happy." She grumbles with playful jealousy.

"Oh come on Rubes." Weiss giggles and pulls her up swiftly, kissing her lightly. "This is something I should freak out over!"

I turn to Nora who is practically dying on the floor from laughter. Well, this is one way to welcome them in I guess! I pull my phone out as it buzzes again and a strange number appears.

_Hello my friend, how was killing Mr. Schnee?_

Sun fucking Wukong.

* * *

><p>Hello all! Sorry this took so long to get up, but I will explain myself. Basically, I've been having a hard time, a very hard time, figuring out where I want to go with Mind Games. I've been writing several works on the side to put out (Two new Bumblebees, the DYWM sequel) that I have been more interested in than this which makes me feel bad, seeing as this is the only one you are actually seeing as of now.<p>

So, what I plan to do is this! I will starting to post the one Bumblebee work I have almost done, whilst writing Mind Games in the back. This will give me some time to formulate what I want to go down for Mind Games. Is that okay? I hope it is. I'd rather put out great updates and chapters instead of the excuses for quality work I have been. I hope you babes understand and continue to support my writing.

I'm now taking suggestions for prompts and ideas for my stories on my Tumblr ( jillianfordays ) so if you have ideas and things you'd like to see, hit me up on there. I'm most active on Tumblr and am more likely to see it. I also do a lot of RWBY posting, as well as some other anime and gaming things. It's a good place to contact me as well as see what I love :)

Other than that I think that is all I've got for this mini update. Keep reviewing, sharing, and favoriting. Thanks so much :)


	15. UPDATE

Hello Everyone,

It has come to my attention that some of you are questioning my whereabouts and what I have been doing.

As you know, this story has been on HIATUS for over a week now, and I am very sorry about that. I'm struggling to find my ideas and my muse for the story, and don't want to put out anything that isn't of quality. Which is why I've been debating dropping the story altogether. I'm sorry about that but I feel like this is holding me back from doing other things I want to do.

DYWM's sequel is in production and I apologize for the delay, but I just want to make it as amazing as I can.

I've been working on other one-shots and projects, so if you follow me as a writer you can get updates from me in general.

I also have other Bumblebee works on the way, so you can expect to see those.

I hope you understand that I'm still here for you guys and that I still appreciate the support. Thank you for taking the time to read this :)


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